Heaving plug



May 221 1928. 1,670,964

c.w. HAY ET A1.

HEAVING PLUG Filed May l2, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l :Ezra- 1 v :ESE- E FW Y 4S' a' c l /Z v 55 l A 35 ad' I .a f5 j V@ y e@ fg Wi /tjf /7 50 /7 5 50 2/ /Q g/ i '50' Q /f 4 5 j] f 7 f 7 5g j/ May z2, 192s.

C. W. HAY ET AL HEAVING PLUG Filed May 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheerl Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATE l I 1,67o,964

NT OFFICE. l

CHARLES'W. HAY ANI)` ROBERT GUY JOHNSON 0F COALINGA, CALIFORNIA.

HEAVING PLUG.

Applikation filed nay 12,

`The inventiony relates to plugs for 'thelower ends of well casiiigs, commonly known as hea-ving plugs.` The use oilsuch plugs is well known, for the purpose of preventingl sand, shale and the like from being upwardly forced by gas ressure or otherwise, into the casing, but di culty has heretofore been encountered in properly*holdingv the heaving plug in the position at whichit is initially set. s v

It is one object of our invention to provide a new and generally improved construction in which novelv provision is made' for positively holding the plug against further ,descent when it reaches the lower end of the well casing and for at that. time positively holding it against upward shifting. v n

To permit rapid and easy lowering of the plug in the well casing, it is formed with a longitudinal passage, and another aim ofy the invention is to provide novel valve means for closing this passage when the plug reaches its destination, y

With the foregoing in view', the invention resides in the novelsubject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented kby the accompanying y drawings.

Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical'sectional views at right angles to' each other, illustrating the relation of parts which obtains when the' plug being lowered in the casing.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on` line of Fig. l. f K

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but illustrating the relationof parts which takes place when the plug has reached the lower end of the well casing.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional View on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

ln the drawings above brieiiy described, the preferred form of construction has been illustrated and while this construction will be specifically described, it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous variationsv may be made. y l The numeral 7 designates va vertically elongated, cylindrical bodyk which is preferably formed of two sections .secured to.

gether by upper and lower bolts 8 and 9. This body is formed with va central, longitudinal bore l0 preferably having its upper end threaded yfor engagement with a suitable member 1'1 forming` part of the means 1927. seria-1 110,190,929.

for loweringthe plug into the well casing C. Near said upper end of the bore 10, a downwardly facing valve seat 12` in provided. Below this valve seat, opposed slots 13' extend from thebore 10 to the periphery of the body 7 and other slots 14 extend'from yoo said bore to said periphery, near the lower K .withthe slips 17, preferably by vinserting them ink slots 21 in said slips.

`Two dogs 22 are pivoted lbetween their ends upon the bolts 9 and are located in the slots 14, which slots are of such shape that the dogsmay swing upwardly and inwardly as shown in'Fig. ,A1 to permitdownward travel ofthe body 7 in the casing C, or may swingdownwardly and .outwardly to the positions shown in Fig. 4 when they clear the lower end of the well casing. In their last named' positions, the dogs 22 rest solidly uponfthe lower ends of the slots 14 and are hence held against further downward movement. VThese dogs then abut the lower end of the casing C and consequently they serve to effectively prevent upward forcing of the body 7 within the casing. Provi-sion is made, whereby the dogs 22 hold the slips 17 vretracted as lono' as said dogs are in the position shown inFig. 1, and whereby when said dogs clear the lower end of the casing, the slips may'come into play to engage said casing. Thus, the Aslips will hold the body 7 againstl further descent and the dogs will"v hold it against ascent from its tion.` l

yA tubular slide 23 is mounted in the lower portion of the bore 10 and` has appropriate pivotal connections 24 with the inner ends of thedogs 22. A vertical rod 25 is suitably secured to this slide and rises therefrom through the opening 20 and throughv a similar opening in a transversebar 26 which` is. fixed across the bore 10. Above and below the cross arm 19, the rod-25 is provided with nuts 28 and 29 respectively,and coil springs 30-31 are interposed between these nuts and proper positoy said cross arm, establishing a connection between said cross arm and the rod 25. 4Another coiled, compression spring 32 surrounds the rod k between the bar 26 and the nut 29, this spring being held compressed when the dogs 22 are in the positions shown in Fig. 1. Thus, as soon as these dogs clear the lower end of the casing C, and are consequently tree to swing outwardly and downwardly,`the spring 32 comes into play to effect such swinging by upward sliding ot' the rod 25 and the slide 23. This'upward movemento'li the rod also causes thenut 29 and spring 31l to upwardly force upon the cross arm 19, thus upwardly sliding the slips^17 along the faces l5 and causing engagement ot their teeth 18 with the casing.

The rod 25 extends somewhat above vvthe nut 28 4and carries a valve for co-action with the seat 12. rlhis valve remains open as long as 'the' rod 25 is lowered and hence while the heaving plug is being lowered4 into the well casing, the liquid in the latter may readily 'flow upwardly through the bore 10.` However, when the dogs 22 are projected, the valve 33 automatically closes. It, at the time the valve contacts with the seat l2, the slips 18 have not moved upwardly to the maximum, the upper spring 30 will compress somewhat and permit 'further upward movement of said slips and the arm 19. Similarly, if by the time the slips 17 contact with the casing, the valve 33 has not entirely closed, the lowerslinring 31 will` compress somewhat and permit further upward movement of the rod 25 and said valve to ellect tight closing of the latter.

F rom the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that although the invention rather simple and inexpensive, it will be efficient and unusually desirable, as .it ispositively held both against dropping outot the well casing or being forced upwardly in the latter. As above stated, variations may be made within the scope of' the invention as claimed, although the embodiment herein illust-rated may be considered as preferred.

We claim:

`1. In a heaving plug, normally retracted, seltprojecting means movably mounted on the plug for holding` the latter against further descentwhen lowered to the end ot a well casing, and casing engaging means fior holding said self-j nojecting means against projection until said casing engaging means clears the casing.

2. ln a heaving plug, casing-controlled means for holding the plug against 'further descent when lowered to the lower end of a well casing, and casing-controlled means 'for holding the plug against upward shifting when. lowered to said' lower end of the casing, each of said means embodying a casing engaging member, the casing engaging meinber of the'last-mentioned casing-controlled means holding the casing-engaging member of the first mentioned casing-controlled means against action until said casing-engaging member of the last mentioned casing controlled means clears the lower end of' the casing. T n' 3. A heaving plug comprising afbody, a projectable casing gripper carried thereby, a dog movably mounted on the body below said gripper and adapted to be held retracted by a well casing until it clears the' lower end'of said casing, operating connections between the dogand the casing gripper tor holding the latter retracted until said dog clears the lower end of the well casing, and spring means for then moving said gripper, said dogV and said operating connections to engage the gripper with the-casing and 'to project the dog under said casing, thereby holding the plug against movementl in either direction. j f

t. A structure as specified in claim 3;

together with a passage through the body,

and valve means controlled bysaid operating connections for closing said passage when said dog is projected.

5. A structure as specified in claim 3; together with a passage through the body, and

valvemeans controlled by saidoperatingv connections for closing said passage when said dog is projected, said operating connections embodying elastic 'means permitting change of relation between the valve and the casing gripper and hence permitting closing of the valve regardless of the extent to which the gripper is projected.

6. A heaving plug comprising a body hav-k inga bore and upper and lower slots 'from said bore to its periphery, said body being formed with an inwardly Adeclined `face at the outer end of its upper slot, a toothed slip engaging said tace, anv arm passing through said upperslot and connected with said slip, a dog pivoted between its ends in said lower slot, a vertically movable rod in the aforesaid bore pivotally connected with the inner end ot said dog and `connected also with said arm, whereby upward and inward swinging of said dog will lower and retract said slip, and spring means acting'on said rod in a direction tending to outwardly and downwardly swing the dog and raise said slip. 1

7. A structure as specified in claini; together with a valve seat at the upper end of said bore and a valve'co-operable with said seat, said rod extending above said arm, having an elastic connection therewith and carrying said valve.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

CHARLES wnAY. ROBERT GUY JonNsoN. 

